Madhya Pradesh: 187 newly elected MLAs are ‘crorepati’

According to an analysis conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that in the newly-elected 230-member legislative assembly, a total of 187 MLAs are multi-millionaires or ‘crorepatis’, and 41 percent of the total number have criminal cases against them.

Reportedly, a party-wise analysis of the state assembly has revealed that 91(84 per cent) out of 109 MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 90(79 percent) out of 114 MLAs from Congress, 1 (50 percent) out of 2 MLAs from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 1 MLA from Samajwadi Party (SP) and 4 independent MLAs have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore.

As per the calculations, average of assets per MLA in the Madhya Pradesh 2018 assembly elections is Rs 10.17 crore, compared to Rs 5.24 crore in 2013. Meanwhile, the average assets per MLA for 114 Congress MLAs analysed is Rs. 9.41 crore, while 109 BJP MLAs have average assets of Rs 11.16 crore, and 4 Independent MLAs have average assets worth Rs. 9.24 crore.

Apparently, the analysis has also highlighted names of 16 MLAs who have declared their total assets worth more than Rs 1 crore but have not filed income tax returns for the same.

Sanjay Satyendra Pathak from Vijayraghavgarh constituency has declared assets worth over Rs 226 crore. Thus making him the MLA with the highest declared assets. Pathak is a BJP MLA.

In the analysis, it is also mentioned that the 230-member Assembly comprises 94 (41 percent) MLAs who have declared criminal cases against themselves, compared to 73 (32 percent) MLAs in 2013. 47(20 percent) MLAs have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, and crime against women, the analysis noted.

Also, a party-wise analysis has highlighted that 56 (49 percent) out of 114 MLAs from Congress, 34 (31 percent) out of 109 MLAs from BJP, 2 from BSP, 1 from SP and 1 out of 4 independent MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

Parliamentary polls in Madhya Pradesh were held in a single phase on November 28, while results were declared on December 11.

Notably, on Thursday, the Congress announced Kamal Nath as the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Both Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati are invited on his swearing-in ceremony, which will be held on December 17.

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